Buying Bicycle to Carry in Small Rental Car - Practical? (Non-Mongering)

[Henrik2000]

(Non-Mongering Question.)

Hello,

I ponder a solo holiday trip with

• rental car *and*
• private bicycle

out of Jomtien/Pattaya that could last 3 – 6 weeks, starting roughly mid-November 2017. I wanted to ask you if that's practical at all. I live in the west.

I really love cycling small field tracks and village roads in early morning and late afternoon, stopping at noodle parlours, snack shops, lotus ponds etc. I did so several times in rural areas of southernmost Isaan, upstate Nakhon Sri Thammarat and upcountry Chiang Mai. All very lovely. I speak basic Thai and I navigate with the satellite pics on Google Maps, which works well. With the bicycle, I only plan 4-hour-trips or at most day-trips, I will stay within easy reach of lodge and car. No long-distance bicycling, nothing sporty and ambitious.

I don't need a fancy bicycle at all, just a simple mountain bike with working gears and robust bottom bracket. But the bicycles that you rent from rural tourist lodges are often terrible (I always take them to the next workshop, wait 2 hours and pay 200 THB for an overhaul). Sometimes lodges don't rent out any bicycle at all and in my experience, bicycle shops *never* rent me anything, not even with the offer of a heavy deposit including passport.

So,

• I'd need a car to get to the country lodges etc. and
• I'd prefer my own bicycle to be independent of the trash cycles (if any) for rent in the tourist lodges.

So I thought I might *buy* a simple mountain bike in Jomtien/Pattaya and carry it around in a rental car (no cycling at all intended in Jomtien/Pattaya itself). I could even try to find a more convenient mtb *with* carrier (for my camera bag) and human-friendly saddle. As for a rental car, I do need a small one. Actually I like Nissan March most, or I could take a Yaris (had both of those in TH before; Nissan March preferred). I don't want a pickup car (which would more easily accommodate an mtb, but is also much more expensive and just too big me).

Some initial questions:

• Could I buy or rent a basic smooth-working mountain-bike in Jomtien or Pattaya? How much would it be? Is there any chance to re-sell it later *without much fuss* or should I just forget about re-selling the mtb? I'll happily take a second-hand bicycle. If need be, I could go to Chonburi town for mtb shopping, even though I'd prefer to buy in Jomtien/Pattaya. Or perhaps a longterm bicycle rental out of Pattaya would be an alternative? Bringing an mtb from the west seems too complicated, even for a cheap disposable one.
• Would an mtb fit into the trunk of a Nissan March or Yaris? I had asked around last time in TH and few if any rental car companies rent cars with external bicycle holder (I won't rely on that).

At home in the west, I just tried to shove an mtb into my own tiny sub-economy car. It worked only

• if I took off both bicycle wheels (no big deal, if the bicycle wheels have quick releases) and
• if I put down the car's backseat's backrest.

But that way there's a good chance to really dirty the car and to damage the car's upholstery or padding. So a bicycle inside a small car seems just so doable (my car is a little smaller than a Nissan March I think), but maybe you have a different experience? (I travel alone with 1 suitcase, so there would be enough space for bicycle *and* luggage).

Thanks for all real-life experience and other related advice!

[soi23]

Think you will have no problem finding everything you need in Pattaya/Jomtien ,,, you might have a lot of choice if you do some shopping.

[Scuba+]

Yes, easy to buy a bike and then sell on bahtsold or maybe put a card up at Big C etc.

If you are doing road cycling a hybrid is fine. I bought this on Threpasit, 7000b, great bike for the price. Easy to take wheels off and stick in back of car.

Less choice of hybrids than mountain bikes, maybe 4 shops with good choice. You can even get a much more expensive bike for example Trek.

[Scuba+]

There's a few cycling groups in Pattaya so you could kick off with those too.

This shop rents bikes in jomtien and has a small selection for sale.

[Henrik2000]

Scubascuba, thanks for some great detailed info! That bike you got for just 7000 looks fine, even though i'd prefer a comfier saddle.

I also copied all the information from that business card and already had a look at the shop's website, which was much more comprehensive than expected. Will look closer once my trip is really concrete. They might have nicer saddles too.

Quote

"Easy to take wheels off and stick in back of car."

You mean in midrange or economy car? Below Vios? You don't loosen the handlebar?

Btw, i actually ride on the dirt paths between rice fields, so in this case a real mtb with rather wide tyres is best, even if it is not as useful on asphalt roads.

---

 

Thank you for visiting us

[Scuba+]

A Honda Jazz size should be fine. i usually just take off the back wheel

The shops have a large range of mountain bikes, all pretty cheap its the high end bikes are harder to find, a shop on theprasit SV has those, i prefer the little shop nearby or LA on the same road.
This one has a large range also.
Ch.Numchai
474/3 M.4, Naklua, Banglamung, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand
+66 61 698 9392

https://goo.gl/maps/8sV9UKDfiG22

[Henrik2000]

Scuba, thanks again - it's all noted and marked on Google Maps too.

The most convenient would be somewhere in Jomtien, and you had one good address from there already.

I might ogle the hi-end bikes, but for this trip a simple second-hand one would be the best.

[forcebwithu]

Another bike shop is SV Bike on Soi 8 and Thepprasit. For a used bike, if the shop doesn't have any for sale ask if they know someone who is selling.

And if you're interested in joining a group for off road riding, check out the Monkey Xtreme Bike Riders. Nothing xtreme about our rides, just a group of friends that get together every Friday morning for an easy 30-35 km, mostly off road ride.

 

[peter.storm]

@misteregg has a folding bike for sale

[just hanging]

yep, but a beer and buy his folding bike...problem solved

[Henrik2000]

1 hour ago, peter.storm said:

@misteregg has a folding bike for sale

Peter, thanks - you mean, just 1 folding bike? It might long be gone when i reach the Eastern Seaboard by mid-November or later. And while a folding bike can be stowed very nicely, it might not be the best for rice field tracks.

[Henrik2000]

Force, thanks for the shop and the Bike Riders! I note them both right now and will have a closer look once i know my date of arrival.

 

3 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Another bike shop is SV Bike on Soi 8 and Thepprasit. For a used bike, if the shop doesn't have any for sale ask if they know someone who is selling.

And if you're interested in joining a group for off road riding, check out the Monkey Xtreme Bike Riders. Nothing xtreme about our rides, just a group of friends that get together every Friday morning for an easy 30-35 km, mostly off road ride.